Follow Through
by Ygritte the Huntress
Summary: It was a cool night in Rome when Xander showed up on Buffy's doorstep B/X "Contact with the Great Unknown" offshoot
1. Chapter 1

**Note: You don't have to read my story "Contact with the Great Unknown" to enjoy this story. It does help clear up certain things though, and I would love it.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own BtVS, AtS or any other property used in this work of fiction.

**Time Line:** Starts 5 years post "Chosen" and 2 years prior to "Contact With The Great Unknown". Further time line details for this series can be found on the series introduction page.

**Spoilers:** Spoiled for all of the Buffy TV series and Angel. All of Roswell, Stargate SG1 and Atlantis as well, just to cover my bases.

**AN: **I've been thinking of where to go with this series, and this was where my brain kept taking me. No worries, there will be more of it after I'm done feeding my persnickety muse. Story named for, and partially blamed on the song "Follow Through" by Gavin Dagraw. Listen to it, its awesome.

**Chapter 1**

* * *

It was a cool night in Rome when Xander Harris arrived at his best friend Buffy's door.

Buffy was spending her evening the way she had spent most of them for the last several months. She was lounging on her sofa, alone. She still went out occasionally, but it wasn't as much fun as it had been in the past. The clubbing lifestyle just wasn't the same since she had given up on picking up guys. Sure she could go out and dance and have fun, but it was kind of lonely really. After the Immortal she had stopped dating for a long time, but she had started dating again eventually. Too bad her taste in men hadn't really improved during that hiatus. Oh well, live and learn she supposed, but she hadn't been ready for any more fun lessons on dating yet, so no more men.

That would have been a hell of a lot easier if she had had something else to fall back on. Unfortunately, with Dawn away at college and Andrew off in either London or Cleveland more than he was home, she didn't really have that. Not that things had exactly been all sugar and sweetness when Dawn had been there. Buffy hadn't taken to the parenting thing easily and Dawn resented the hell out of her. Dawn had run screaming to Oxford, hoping to get clear of what she considered overwhelming stifling over protectiveness. That made Buffy laugh. Like living under Giles' thumb was going to be easier than dealing with her.

Andrew stayed gone a lot, mostly to avoid her probably. She hadn't been terribly please with him about the whole Spike secret. She had forgiven his part a long time ago, but he still felt bad about it. It did have the fun side effect of him being way to honest with her since then though. She could ask him anything, any thing, and he was totally unable to lie to her.

Slaying was another huge hole in her life. Rome had a surprisingly high demon population. Vampires stayed away due to the heavy religious influence, but demons came in droves. Problem was that those demons stayed off the grid most of the time, only surfacing for big rituals and in large numbers. This made patrolling useless. It also meant that she was the last to know about any of their plans. Someone in Paris or Prague would hear a rumor and then show up on her doorstep with information and a ready plan of action. She was basically a back up slayer in her own city.

So she sat. Empty house, empty bed, empty slayage. She was spending her evening, like so many others, flicking through an Italian fashion magazine, listening to euro pop thumping in the background, lonely and bored.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **So I've decided that this story will be told through scenes spread out through the span of the relationship. I'm lowering the rating too. I was going to try to go a bit smutty, but I find myself unable to write that kind of thing.

**Chapter 2**

* * *

The knock pulled Buffy out of her, rather to broody, introspection. "No point kicking Angel to the curb if I'm going to go all broody like him." she muttered to herself as she made to answer the door.

When she opened it and saw Xander she smiled, squealed and jumped up to hug him. This left him stunned and holding up an overexcited slayer, inches off the floor.

"Hey Buff. I take it you're happy to see me." Xander said with a laugh as he put her down.

Buffy smiled brightly at him as she yanked him hard, into her apartment.

"You have no idea. I was just sitting here contemplating a change of wardrobe of the all black variety. Just imagine the world of horror you have saved humanity from."

Xander laughed as he made himself comfortable on the couch. He had dropped the rucksack he called luggage at the door when Buffy had attacked him.

"That would be a tragedy. Speaking of which: what the hell are you listening too. Leave you to your own devices for a couple of years and you lose all sense of taste."

Buffy blushed slightly and swiped up the stereo remote as she sat down on the couch next to him.

"I've lived in Rome for 5 years. You know what they say, 'when in Rome…'", she said as she flipped from the radio station to the first CD in her 6 CD system.

"What, 'when in Rome, listen to shitty music'?" Xander quipped at her.

Buffy was about to respond when the CD began to play. Instead she sank back into the couch and covered her face as she let out a slightly mortified giggle.

"What's this I hear milady?" Xander teased as he grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. "Why, it's Big and Rich"

"Hey!" Buffy defended as she continued to giggle. "You said country was all manly pain. You never mentioned the drinking and dancing part."

Xander laughed. "Blast, you have discovered my sinister secret. Now you must die."

Xander reached over and pulled Buffy close as he began to tickle her mercilessly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Xander had a blast with Buffy for the next 3 weeks. It was the best vacation he had had in years. Hell is was the best time he'd had since high school. There was a connection that had been worn away over time. Bits and pieces of a connection chipped away by hurt feelings, bad decisions, divided loyalties. But now it was somehow easy again. They hung out and ate pizza, shared music and stories, watched American movies they both had missed in the last 5 years. They went out to night clubs and strolled the streets. They even patrolled a few times, the good it did them.

One night, a week before the end of his one month stay, they just sat and talked about their lives.

"Why here for your vacation? Not that I'm not REALLY happy you're here."

"Because I wanted to visit my family. If I had gone to LA or London I'd have just ended up working all the time, and if I had gone to Rio I would have ended up mediating Willow and Kennedy in their screwed up relationship. So here I am. All yours."

They were still chatting a few hours later.

"Oh, plus, I think Dawn has finally gotten over you.", Buffy said with a smile. This was at the tale end of a conversation about her younger sister.

"Bout time." Xander replied with a grin. "Not sure what she saw in me in the first place." He wasn't kidding about that. He never had understood what Dawn found so appealing about him. Especially in comparison to Spike: who like it or not, was literally her hero.

"Oh, please." Buffy scoffed at her friend. "You're brave, kind, sweet, and strong. And apart from some pretty questionable wardrobe choices, you're pretty good looking. You also pull off the pirate look surprisingly well, and that is not something a lot of men can claim."

Xander shook his head. If only other women thought that way. You would actually NOT be surprised to know how many women find the eye patch freaksom and off putting.

"Although," Buffy added after a thoughtful pause, "Dawnie is quite the hottie these days. She's all freakishly tall, with the doe eyes and shiny hair, and boobs. You should be honored she ever had the hots for you at all."

Buffy smiled as Xander grimaced. She seemed to enjoy his discomfort.

"No. That's just wrong. I just can't see Dawn that way. There's, like, a wall. It's like me and Willow. There's a huge thick wall with 'Don't go there' painted with big red letters on it."

Buffy smirked. "Didn't stop you with Willow."

Xander gave her a sad smile. "And look how that turned out. Willow and I talked about that you know. Everyone seems to think that we pretended it never happened, but we didn't. We decided that it happened because we thought we were losing each other. Like our relationships were breaking our bond or something."

Buffy nodded. "Like a subconscious displacement."

There was a quiet moment between the friends, during which Buffy turned to lay on the couch with her legs in Xander's lap.

In time she asked, "What about me?" Xander frowned at her so she elaborated. "Is there a big wall for me?"

Xander though for a moment before answering. He wasn't going to lie to her, but he didn't want to sound like he was perving after her 24/7 either. He wasn't, but he thought that's how it could come across.

"No" he finally said. "There is a wall, but its all glass, and there are a couple of doors."

Buffy didn't respond to that, she just moved on. "With your track record, maybe you should reconsider climbing one of those walls. Or you could still do the gay thing."

Xander laughed. "I already did actually."

Buffy sat up on her elbows. "NO WAY!! Really?"

"There was this guy in South Africa named Emile. I tried, but apparently I'm way too straight for my own good."

Buffy's eyebrows shot up. "Tried? What exactly did you try?"

Xander was completely uncomfortable now. "I didn't have sex with him. It didn't get quite that far. But you know what? Not evil, or a demon, or a total bitch.

"Maybe that was the problem. Maybe they have to be bitchy, or demony, or evil for you. Buffy smiled wickedly as she laid her head back down.

"Oh, you're one to talk."

"Oh, please."

"No really. Angel – vampire with a soul."

"Nina – psycho stalker"

"Marco – part Bracken asshole"

"Anya – vengeance demon"

"Riley – supped up soldier boy"

"Miss French"

"Parker"

"That shaman chick with the piercings"

"The Immortal"

"Minion of the First"

"Spike"

Buffy held up her hands. "Fine, I concede the point. We both have super shitty taste in the opposite sex."

Xander was thoughtful for a second. "I don't regret the ones I really loved though. I regret hurting Cordy, but not loving her. And without that I wouldn't have had Anya."

"I know what you mean. I regret sleeping with Angel, and I regret a lot of things with Spike, but not loving him."

"You're still pissed at them though, aren't you?"

Buffy looked at the ceiling for a long moment. "Sort of. I know that it's been years now, but it still hurts. And, as illogical as it seems, I'm madder at Angel then Spike."

Xander nodded. "Makes sense to me. Spike was really messed up, even before he sacrificed himself. Although, Angel may have been trying to protect you too."

Buffy shook her head. "It felt more like selfish jealousy to me. You may be right, but it seemed like, if he couldn't have me then Spike certainly couldn't." She sighed. "Doesn't matter anymore anyway. We've all moved on with our lives now. I don't love Spike that way anymore. I still care about him, but not like that."

"That's good, considering he's screwing around with Vi now."

Buffy snorted. "I heard about that. Slayers are terrible gossips you know. Not that anyone has come out and said anything. Just whispers and bits and pieces to put together. If they're happy, great, but I'm still not ready to be friends again yet."

"I kind of felt the same way with Faith for a while." Xander admitted. "Not that we were in love or anything, but we had a connection before things got really bad. Took a while to move on."

They were quiet after that. It was only another 10 minutes until they fell asleep, still basking in the easy comfort of each other's presence.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

The next night was the big night out for the duo.

They hung out in one of Rome's trendiest clubs. They danced, they drank, they flirted shamelessly with everyone, and they had a blast. It was 3am before they crashed out on the floor in front of the sofa: their heads leaned back and their sore feet propped up on the squishy ottoman.

"God I miss everyone." Buffy said as she leaned her head on Xander's shoulder.

"I know what you mean. I live and work with loads of people, but there isn't that pull that there is with you guys. God, I feel so disconnected most of the time. Calling is just not the same. It always feels like it's forced or something. You know?"

Buffy nodded. "There isn't the same flow. That warm feeling. You can't get a hug through the phone and e-mail."

Xander sighed. "I don't know how I'm going to go back. I know I'm needed there, I feel it, but I feel so cut off."

"Alone."

"Yeah. And it feels like I'm gonna be that way forever."

Buffy nodded again. "Me too."

They sat quietly for several minutes, comfortable just sitting together. Buffy leaned into Xander, breathing his familiar scent. She was thinking 'what if'. What if she had acted on her attraction to him when they first met? What if she had kissed him that one time instead of pulling away? Would they be together now? Would they still be friends even? What if they had been happy together? What if…

Buffy sat up and looked at her Xander shaped friend. She saw a look in his eyes: a longing look that matched her own. She saw all her 'what if's passing through his mind. God, there had been so many times when she had just wanted….. him. That sweet, goofy, brave, force that was Xander. She knew that he had crushed on her in the past, and sometimes she had crushed right back, but there had just never been the right time. It felt like they were the could have, should have been couple for years. It had just never happened. Between boyfriends, girlfriends, drama, apocalypses, infighting…

And she was sitting there just staring at him. And suddenly she said, "Fuck it." And she kissed him.

It started as a soft kiss, maybe even friendly, but it heated up quickly. Xander broke the kiss at some point, but Buffy leaned in and recaptured his lips before he could say anything. She didn't feel like talking it to death just then. She just wanted to enjoy it.

From the kissing cam touching. Buffy and Xander explored each other physically the way they had flowed around each other emotionally for years. Soft caresses and brushes of warm skin.

After what seemed like ages, Buffy finally let Xander break away. Well, not away, she was straddling his lap with her arms around his shoulders, but he broke the kiss and pulled back from her.

"All I can thing to say right now is 'Wow' and 'Huh?'" Xander's expression was a cute mixture of wonder and confusion, which caused Buffy to giggle at him. He grinned slightly before sobering and frowning a bit. "I know you're lonely and all, I am too, but this is – I mean we – "

Buffy covered his mouth with one of her hands to shut him up. "If we back up and start to think this to death, it's never going to happen. There are so many reasons we could come up with, and they are good ones, but I don't care. I have way too many 'what if's hanging over my head that I'm never going to answer. I don't want us to be one of them anymore. Worse comes to worse, nobody needs to know, we just forget it and move on. But if it works out? We get to be happy. We deserve to be happy. I want to be happy."

Xander just gave her a huge lopsided grin and pulled her into a much deeper kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

The morning after wasn't the romantic experience that Xander had expected. He always thought that nights ripped from romance novels would be followed by perfect, flawless morning afters. What he got was carpet burn, a stiff neck and yarn fuzz in his mouth.

Xander woke up on Buffy's living room floor. Yes Buffy herself was with him, but that only upped the romantic factor so far. He was laying on his side on the carpet, his ass hanging out of the afghan they had draped over themselves at some point, a couch cushion as a pillow for the two of them, fuzz from the blanket on his tongue, Buffy pressed almost uncomfortably against his erection. So far not even close to how he had imagined this being.

He had spent years off and on wondering what it would be like to be with Buffy. Not just having sex with her, but being there in the morning, being the one to hold her whenever he wanted to. Now he was here and he wondered if it was real, or if she'd change her mind when she woke. God he hoped not.

If she did decide this was a bad idea, he could probably live with it. He would still love her as much as ever and he wouldn't disappear on her or anything. It would hurt like hell though. He hoped that she wouldn't be angry with him. Maybe he had taken advantage of a low moment.

Buffy shifted around in his arms to face him. "Xander, stop thinking so loud." She said as she kissed his chin and cuddled in closer.

Xander smiled and held her tight. She woke up, and she didn't seem to be changing her mind.

Best morning ever.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

They both spent the rest of that day in a sort of happy fog. They cuddled, they cooked together, and they showered together. They talked about nothing and didn't talk about the heavy things. Only late that night, when they were once again laid out on the floor naked and sweaty, did they discuss the situation.

"This is going to be hard. We live so far away from each other."

Buffy frowned. "We don't have to. I'm really not needed here, and I bet an extra hand wouldn't be turned away by your little tribe."

Xander's face scrunched up a bit. "Don't you think that's moving a little fast? I mean I'm all for having you with me, but I don't know how other people will react. That's going to be a problem anyway, without adding the moving in together after a week part. And there would be nobody here anymore, since Andrew is gone most of the time now."

Buffy just waved it off. "Not right this minute. It IS a bit fast. No I mean that, when I get a replacement, I get properly reassigned to field duty and I request to work with your team. Could take like a year though."

Xander's eyebrows went up. "You sound pretty sure we'll still be together in a year."

Buffy stood and stretched, uncaring about her nakedness. "Oh please. Think of all the shit that's happened between us, and where we are now. We've been through a lot to get to this point. I have faith that we can deal with whatever comes next." She grabbed Xander by the arm and pulled him up to his feet. When he got his footing she took his hand and started leading him to her bedroom. "Plus, now we have make up sex to get us through the fights."

(&)

When Buffy called HQ the next morning to do her formal request for reassignment, Giles was a little baffled.

/You want to transfer where?/

"To Xander's little wandering band of Slayers in Africa."

/I was under the impression that you were enjoying your status as semi-retired, or whatever it was that you called it. Why on earth would you want to join one of the busiest and, might I add, roughest teams that we have?/

"Does it really matter? You don't need me here anyway and I'm bored. Yes I do realized that this goes against everything I ever said about leading a normal life, but slaying every night is normal for me now. I can't take all of this pent up aggression anymore. I drove Dawn away with it I think. Andrew is too scared to come home. I gotta get out of here."

/Well, you have my approval. We would need Xander to approve as well of course./

"I have that covered already."

/Well, I'm as sure as you are that Xander will agree, but we need to speak with him before we can start the process of finding someone to fill your position in Rome. He's out of touch with all of us as he is on vacation right now. When he checks in next I can – /

"I know where he is. I'm surprised you don't. I know he didn't want to get called back to work, but I didn't think he was hiding from everyone."

/Well, the last time he went for a vacation he was pulled back in the next day. Maybe you can get him to call me. There are a few things that would be better handled sooner than - /

"No! Sorry Giles, but he deserves the time off. Just get the paperwork for my transfer going, ok."

There was a long silence.

/What exactly is going on with you? You are being rather more insistent than usual. I'm not comfortable making changes in slayer placement based on anyone's romantic troubles./

"Giles, my decision to leave isn't based on any boyfriend past or present. I've been looking into other assignments for almost a year now. Just do this for me? Please."

There was a shuffling noise behind Buffy and a voice reached Giles' ears. "Hey, Buff, what do you say to a nice hot shower?"

/Xander is there isn't he? There is something going on between the two of you, right? I don't think - /

Buffy smiled over her shoulder. "It doesn't matter. Just do as I ask."

/Fine, but I will be speaking with the others about this. I expect that you will have to explain yourself in person to at least Willow In a few hours./

"You do that Giles. If I'm going to have company then I guess I need to shower and get ready. Love you, bye."

(&)

Willow showed up much sooner than anyone had expected. Buffy and Xander were still getting dressed after their shower when she popped into existence. In the bedroom where they were still mostly naked and kissing rather passionately.

"OhMyGosh!!" she squeaked and ran out of the room.

When the couple exited the room, dressed and trying desperately not to giggle at their friend, they found Willow nearly hyperventilating on the couch.

Buffy flopped down next to the red head and patted her shoulder. "And that's why knocking is one of the first things they teach in finishing schools around the world."

"It's not funny." Willow complained.

"But it really is." Said Xander as he sat down on her other side. "Don't worry Will. No harm done."

"To you. You're not the one with the image of your best friends having sex seared into your brain."

"We weren't having sex. And now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind that image so much."

Buffy reached over and smacked him on the back of the head.

Willow narrowed her eyes and turned to Xander. "What if it was me and Jesse?"

Xander winced. "Ah, there's the emotional scars."

"See!"

Buffy got up and turned to the pair. "So, does this mean you're going to give us a big speech about not risking our friendship and long distance relationships and stuff? Cause if you are, I think you should know that we covered all that already."

Willow shook her head furiously. "I won't say I'm not kinda shocked, cause I totally am shocked, but I think it's kinda great. I mean, I guess I always thought that one day maybe me and Xander might work, or even you and me, once I started liking girls, but Xander is like my brother, and you are SO not into girls, so this is good."

Xander grinned and hugged her. "Good, cause you were the one we were really worried about. I mean, it changes the whole Scooby dynamic a bit. We didn't want you to feel left out or anything."

Buffy sat down and joined the hug. "You are like a part of me Will. I don't want you to feel like you're on the outside looking in."

"Thanks guys. I'm touched that you were thinking of me."

Xander squeezed her. "We love you. And if we ever decided to go for a threesome, you're our girl."

That got him two smacks to the head.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

_Oh, this is the start of something good  
Don't you agree?  
I haven't felt like this in so many moons  
You know what I mean?  
And we can build through this destruction  
As we are standing on our feet  
So, since you want to be with me  
You'll have to follow through  
With every word you say  
And I, all I really want is you  
You to stick around  
I'll see you everyday_

Gavin Dagraw - "Follow Through"

* * *

Xander was laying by a camp fire somewhere in – almost literally – Bum Fuck Egypt.

The stars were shining down on the camp, enhancing the serene feeling that had permeated for the past few days. The groups of campfires and tents were quiet since everyone was either asleep, on watch near the perimeter, or out on slaying jaunts with their teams.

Xander's African slayer organization was more akin to the Romany or Nomads than anything else. They were a group of 40 to 50 witches, watchers, slayers, hunters, and a few covering multiple roles. They traveled on horses and donkeys form place to place, carrying all for their worldly possessions with them. Their only real regular connection to the outside world was a single satellite phone with spotty reception and a set of radios.

They would travel from one camp site to another, picking off demons and dark shamans as they went. When they made their camp they started rotating out in groups of five. The parties would radiate out in different directions in a staggered 72 hour shift, so that there was always a good sized group at the base site. This worked fairly well since there were no real focus points of supernatural activity on the continent for whatever reason. Unfortunately there were a lot of demons. They liked it because there were fewer densely populated areas and they could hide out more easily. Not to mention the greater number of highly vulnerable villages. The largest cities, like Cairo, did have their own resident slayers, leaving the deserts and jungles to the tribes and Xander. Luckily most of the war torn areas were too hostile for even most demons, so they didn't have to deal with that much. It was a dangerous, isolated existence, but it was rewarding too.

Nobody in the Council, or even the Scoobies, really seemed to understand the odd little community that he led. Giles seemed to think that he exaggerated the conditions based on the way he had been raised. Will and Dawn didn't really think about it much at all as far as he knew. Buffy knew now, but only since that vacation 6 months ago.

They had swapped stories about their jobs and lives then. It had really surprised him a lot when, even after the tales of no electricity and gypsy living, she had wanted to come out here with him. God he hoped she didn't run away screaming after an hour without a blow dryer. But if she showed up here, and really hated it, he'd probably follow her back to civilization on the spot. He was dedicated, not stupid. You don't let a job, any job, keep you from true happiness.

Just then there was a strange shift in the air that made Xander sit up and look around warily. A tap on his left shoulder made him nearly jump out of his skin.

"Shit, sorry. I forgot how much it bugs you when someone comes at you on your blind side."

Xander whirled and smiled brightly at the woman who had scared him out of his mind.

Buffy smiled back briefly, before she threw herself into his arms. "Oh my God, Xander, I've missed you so much."

Xander laughed and spun her around. "What? I just came and spent a whole 10 hours with you last month. Not enough?"

When she was finally able to disentangle herself, Buffy plopped down on the blanket by the fire. "No. Not that I didn't appreciate Willow exhausting herself for us. This long distance thing just isn't working for me anymore. 6 months is too much."

"Yeah." Xander sat down and pulled his girlfriend close. "What's your plan then?"

"Oh, that's simple. I'm staying."

Xander's eyebrows went up. "Just like that? Did you just decide this morning and leave a note on the way out the door? 'Dear Andy. Gone camping, be back never. Call Giles for me. Bye, Buffy' "

Buffy smacked him roughly and pulled herself closer to him. "Of course not. I am a responsible adult now you know. I planned and everything."

"So you packed for a couple of days first?"

This time she laughed. "NO! Well, I did. But I also called Giles and had Andrew transferred to main headquarters, I had my apartment packed up and all my personal stuff stored so that my replacement could use all the council owned furniture and things in her place. I chose a replacement and got her moved in to a place. I got all my mail changed to be sent to a box where you pick up your mail. I had Andrew fix up all my paperwork so that I get paid properly for this kind of field work, and all my benefits have been arranged the same way that yours are. And before you ask, like the smartass you are, yes, I did pack appropriately for the environment. No blow dryer or six inch heels or miniskirts."

"Damn, love the way you look in those. I appreciate your willingness to sacrifice those things for me. Nobody has ever done that, sacrificed a huge chunk of their lives just to be with me. I love you for that."

"I know. And I know that this is a huge change that I'm making in my life. It was a huge change for you too. You took a job that nobody wanted and made it into a lifestyle that fits the world you were dropped into. We don't take that for granted. But know this; this is by no means permanent. We will be rotated back to civilization at some point, just like all the other watchers have been. You've been here longer than anyone should be, and I won't have you burning out or going nuts on me."

Xander thought for a minute and then nodded. "Yeah, I know I'll have to leave this to someone else eventually. Not right away though, if I can help it."

"Good."

"Why did you make the new slayer get her own place and send Andrew away?"

"Andrew spends most of his time with Giles now anyway, and the thought of her in my home for that last few years made me queasy Besides I sort of pulled seniority and made a few demands and decisions in the best interest of others. Some people are pretty pissed at me right now."

"What did you do?"

"I yanked Kennedy from Brazil and put her in Rome, as far away from Willow as I could manage. I got Robin reassigned to New York so that Vi can have a free hand with the girls in Cleveland without his constant interference. Bonus points for keeping him form trying to kill Spike again. There were a few other things, specific to a few of the girls that have called me with problems in the last couple months. Giles nearly had a coronary when he came back from a weekend off and heard what I had done."

"So, the queasy is because you stuck Ken there huh? What did Will say about that?"

"Pretty grateful actually. You may get that threesome after all. Things were getting worse and worse with them around each other. Will was about this close to melting down and since I was going crazy being away from you, I made the call."

Xander grinned widely. "My Buffy, decisive and In Charge. That is insanely hot you know."

"Good to know."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Buffy came awake with a start. Years ago this had been a sign that either she had had an extremely disturbing slayer dream, or that she sensed danger. Now, howere, it usually ment that Xander had hit her in the midst of his own nightmares.

She reached out to her partner of the last 2 years and shook him gently to wake him up. "Xander, baby, wake up."

Xander jerked awake and groaned loudly. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you again?"

Buffy shook her head. "Just kicked me in the shin this time. Hey, that means you are improving. You're not punching anymore."

She gave him a slight smile, but he rolled his eye at her. "I thought this shit would stop when we left Africa. Instead it just moved from giving you black eyes to kicking you in the leg."

Xander rolled out of the big, brand new bed and started pacing the wood floors of their bedroom. Buffy sat up and watched him for a moment before she sighed. "We've only been here 3 days. Even if we had just moved across town it would take longer than that to adjust. Hell, we have to get used to air conditioning and electricity again. You can't expect the tramatic crap to go away just like that." She snapped her fingers for effect.

Xander's pacing slowed but continued. "But isn't that what we're doing here. I mean, it's the whole reason we up and changed our entire lives, again."

Buffy was getting frustrated with Xander now. "No, the reason we came here was that both of the watchers assigned here decided to up and leave with barely a week's notice between the two of them. The reason we up and changed our entire lives, again, is that you'd been living in the freaking wild for nearly 7 years and that is un fucking fair. These nightmares started getting violent because it was way past time for you get out of there and we all know it."

'I just thought…."

"You just thought that it would all go away the second the plane landed. It doesn't work that way baby. The last couple months have been shitty for everyone involved. More than half the team had to rotate out. It's not just you. I have nightmares too you know."

Xander rubbed his hands over his face in frustration as he sped up his pacing. "When I wake up to a broken nose from one of your dreams, then we can have this conversation. Until then, just drop it."

"No! You never want to talk about it and I'm tired of tip toeing around it. You keep acting like being the watcher means the scary shit isn't suppose to bother you as much as the slayers. Like we're somehow inherently emotionally fragile. Then when you have the same problems, it's all 'oh no, I'm cracking up'. How crappy is that. Next thing you know you'll be patting my head and giving me lollypops so I'll go to the doctor like a good girl. And by the way, I did almost break your arm last year, so that little deflection isn't going to work on me."

"Oh, well, thank you for your Psych 101 analysis, Dr. Summers. Anything else you want to cover while you're at it? Want me to rehash my childhood trauma for you?"

Buffy was rapidly getting pissed off by now. She stood up and went around the bed to grab him and look him in the eye. "Stop it! I'm not picking a fight. I'm trying to help you."

Xander looked at her for a moment. He flashed to an image of her; eyes watering, face puffy and nose disjointed. That's what he had seen not one month ago, when the violent dreams had hit their peak. He shook his head. "I'll go sleep on the couch. I don't want to hurt you again tonight."

Buffy began to protest, but Xander cut her off. "I know that you won't let me keep sleeping away from you. It's just for tonight. I just – I don't want to fight about this anymore."

He kissed her softly and stroked her hair. "Get some sleep."

She nodded and sat on the edge of the bed as he closed the door quietly on his way out.

* * *

Xander did not sleep on the couch that night. It took about 15 minutes for the noises of the house around him and the uncomfortable piece of furniture to chase him back to the warmth of his bed, and its occupant.

"Took you long enough." Buffy muttered as Xander slipped back into bed.

Xander sighed and pulled her close as he closed his eye and began to drift off. "Still mad."

"Me too. Fight when we're more coherent?"

"Kay."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

Once they had settled in to their new place in the Melbourne house, things smoothed out between Xander and Buffy. He still had nightmares, but they weren't violent most of the time. They still fought: no relationship is without it's tensions. But things were generally good for them on a personal level.

Professionally, however, things were pretty shitty as far as either of them were concerned. The girls living there resented them and weren't afraid to let them know it. They made their lives miserable with attitude, disobedience and, mostly in Buffy's case, violence. Plus the added stress of only having one watcher, really, for all of them. Buffy was willing to take on the role as much as she could, but Xander was the only one of the two with training and experience for the tactical and financial responsibilities inherent in the job. Even though she had been out in Africa with him, she had pretty much left the book work to him and stuck to training and patrols.

So they were stuck with half of the booky team that the girls were used to, and Xander was stuck with all of the book keeping, cooking, repairs, scheduling, and (god help him) parenting. The slayers refused to see Buffy as any kind of authority figure, and they looked down on her because she was sleeping with one. They saw it as a slayer getting special treatment because she was screwing the boss. The fact that she was a WC board member and was a power in her own right didn't seem to register at all.

Oh, and then there was Angel.

* * *

Xander and Buffy were out one Saturday night, dancing in a local club after patrol.

They were in the middle of a slow dance. The house band was playing a version of "Iron Man" similar to the one done by The Cardigans and Buffy was plastered so close to Xander that they were starting to get a few stares. It was similar to that dance so many years ago.

"People are watching us." Xander said in a low voice near Buffy's ear.

"Good." she replied with a smile. "I want everyone to see who owns your pirate ass. Less trouble in the long run."

Xander chuckled. "Yes ma'am."

Buffy turned and wrapped her arms around Xander's neck, pulling him down into a steamy kiss. As they continued to sway together Xander happened to look up.

"Honey, I hate to ruin the mood…."

"Don't."

"But – "

"I know. I saw him before. Just ignore him."

Xander sighed and went back to enjoying the dance.

The set ended with the song, so they went to get drinks at the bar. They sat comfortably for a few minutes before Buffy huffed and marched over to the shadowed corner where her stalker lurked.

"How's it going Angel?" she asked as she sat down next to the broody vampire. It didn't do any good to ask him to bugger off, so they had stopped trying about a year earlier. Buffy had finally told everyone to either be nice or just ignore him, since she knew that he didn't mean any physical harm. He probably didn't MEAN any emotional harm either, but he wasn't going out of his way to avoid it.

"Pretty good. Thought I'd stop by and give you some pictures of the new baby and Liam."

"Laura e-mailed me new pictures yesterday, just like always."

"I just wanted to make sure you got some."

Buffy sighed and nearly had to physically restrain herself from tearing at her hair. "I appreciate it, but I've got it covered."

Laura Reilly was a really sweet girl who had run smack into Buffy on a Roman street during her first weeks there. Laura had been on a vacation and they hung out and did touristy things together for a few weeks before Laura returned to LA and started nursing school. They had stayed in contact and hung out when Buffy had moved Faith out there from Cleveland. Connor had met Laura when she patched him and Buffy up after a fight. There had been major sparks and things had taken off from there. She had taken Connor's parentage pretty well and had found a way to integrate Angel into the lives of her children without causing any major waves with Connor's other parents.

There was a silent moment, broken by Angel's inability to leave things alone. "Xander still beating you up at night?"

"Nope. All fixed and couldn't be happier." Xander said as he joined them, handing a new drink to Buffy as she got up and slipped comfortably onto his lap. If either of them had thought of it, they would have done this to make Angel uncomfortable and make a point. But they didn't, this was an ingrained habit that they really didn't notice anymore. The habit mostly stemmed from the fact that Buffy really didn't like sitting in dirt, on dirty furniture, or on the ground, any more than she actually had to and Africa was a bit grubbier than one could wish for. By the time they were sleeping on big squishy beds every night, they had just gotten used to it. If they had been trying to make a point, it probably wouldn't have pissed Angel off as much.

Angel made a face and stood abruptly. "Well, did what I came for, time to head home. Spike called me asking for help. Seems he can't function on his own."

Buffy stifled a giggle. "Ok, well, say hi to Vi for me when you get there."

Angel made another face and muttered a quick goodbye before he made his way out of the club.

"And I still want to know how the HELL he gets his jacket to do that."

Buffy just rolled her eyes at her partner and dragged him back out onto the dance floor.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Once Buffy and Xander returned from Colorado things finally leveled out all the way around. They were in a good place in their relationship, Angel had disappeared, they had gotten thing all out in the open and cleared away with Dawn and Spike. The one thing they had to deal with was getting the slayers under control, and that went rather well.

When they got back the house was in utter chaos. Bella and Laura had left the house all together, going to stay with their boyfriends, while Millie, Gwen, Lynn and Tessa had let the trash and dishes to rot where they fell and left all the freaking lights in the house on all the time. There was damage from the girls getting into fights, tons of takeout containers, and the smell of old laundry.

None of this was really a surprise. All the girls were under 20 and 4 of them were still in highschool. They had no concept of how to function with adult supervision since they had been under the care of the Watcher's Council since they were children, and the watchers that Buffy and Xander replaced had been of the coddling and spoiling variety. The girls had never had to make a meal, wash a load of laundry, or schedule themselves in any way. They were one of the few full groups made up of foster care and handed over children. They were reckless and stubborn and in need of a good ass kicking.

While they had intentionally left them to their own devices at home, they had a couple people looking out for them on patrols. They reported no problems between the slayers and no bad injuries from demons. It seemed that Bella and Laura, while not the oldest of them, took a lead role when they were out. This gave Xander a good idea of how to smooth things over between them and Buffy.

* * *

All six girls returned to the house together after patrol the night Buffy and Xander arrived home. They were slightly surprised to see their nominal parental figures sitting on the couch watching cartoons on cable, surrounded by the mess. They had expected that the two would clean the place up when they saw it. They had stayed out and patrolled a couple extra miles hoping for it actually.

The girls stared at the couple for a few minutes, before quietly agreeing to form up in front of them. Nobody had particularly enjoyed the last few days, and they wanted to get things straightened out right away. Of course they had loved the freedom at first, and still did to a point, but the realities of them trying to run a household on any level were a bit harsher than any of them had imagined.

Bella was the first person to speak. She had moved into her boyfriend's apartment just hours after Buffy and Xander left, but had been kicked out a couple of days later. She hadn't returned home because she was a bit embarrassed about the whole thing, and she was hoping that she'd be ordered home by them to cover it. She'd spent the rest of her time staying with a nice demon lady that lived up the road, but that wasn't exactly a permanent solution.

"Hi. How was your trip?" She was trying for nonchalance, but she was a bit too nervous to pull it off.

Xander answered in a slightly cold tone. "Good. Did everybody enjoy their time alone?"

"No." Laura spoke up. She actually had been fine, but the other girls were miserable and snippy. She had lived in Melbourne her whole life, she even got trained here, and she had had the same boyfriend since she was 13, so her move had been smooth and she wasn't planning on moving back. The girls, however, needed the structure and oversight that Xander and Buffy provided. "Things went to hell here, and even though I decided to move out, we need you to help take care of things. We've been patrolling together every night as one whole group because we couldn't even decide on a schedule, or patrol routes."

There was silence. Not one of the others argued.

"Everything's going ok with Jamie and your patrolling and stuff?" Buffy asked.

Laura smiled. "Couldn't be better. He's had 5 years to get used to the whole slayer thing."

Buffy smiled. "Good. I'm happy that's working out for you. Make sure you get your new address and number to Xander to fix your files." Buffy took a long pause. She was debating exactly what to say about Bella. She knew what had happened and where she had been staying since Mrs. Lit had called her the night Bella had shown up, but she didn't want to embarrass her. "Since Laura is 18 she is within her rights to live where ever she wants. Bella, on the other hand, is 16 and since the council has guardianship, she will be moving back here tonight. Understand?"

Bella nodded and stepped to the back of the group.

Buffy stood. "I want this place clean before any of you go to bed. Since there is no school tomorrow, there are no excuses. We can talk about the rest of it tomorrow. Don't look to Xander. It's time you learned that I'm just as much the boss of you as he is. I'm the head of slayers for the whole council. I'm the most senior for a reason. I survived as the only slayer for a long time. None of you will ever have to be on your own like that in your entire lives. Being the only one of your whole group with the power is a lot harder than squabbling with a bunch of other slayers about who is better. I've died, I've led an army, I've been alone, and I've lost. I deserve your respect, and I'm not putting up with your shit about it anymore. Do as you're told or be reassigned. You girls have been together for a long time. You are a family, and I'd hate to have to split you up, but I will if you push me. Are we clear?"

There were murmurs of assent and the girls, even Laura, started getting things cleaned up. "Laura, you don't have to stay, but if you do, remember to call Jamie so he doesn't worry."

Laura just nodded and excused herself to make the call.

"Bella."Buffy shouted. When the girl approached her, she pulled her aside. "I'm not going to say anything, but I know what happened. I'm very happy that you were smart enough to go stay with someone who you could trust, but you shouldn't have left in the first place."

The girl was about to argue, but Buffy just shook her head. "Just… don't do it again, and if something like that happens to you again, when you are old enough to make those decisions, don't be too embarrassed to come home. Ok?"

Bella nodded and hugged Buffy, which surprised both of them.

"Go get your stuff and help the others."

"I wasn't even here." Bella whined.

"You should have been." Xander said from behind her. "They look to you and Laura as leaders. You have to set the example. You guys set the example that running off and ignoring it was the way to go. We're going to have a talk with both of you tomorrow, but I want you to know that I'm not going to get into the moving out thing. That's Buffy's domain, and she's decided not to lecture, and not to tell anyone about it. I'll respect it. Now, hurry to Mrs. Lit's place. She's waiting for you."

* * *

By the next morning the girls were worn out and too tired to really fight.

"Ok." said Xander as Buffy handed each girl personalized patrol and chore schedules. "This is how it's going to go. Buffy is in charge of training. You WILL attend training or you can't patrol. You don't patrol, you don't get paid. Buffy is in charge of schedules. You follow the schedule or you don't patrol. You don't patrol, you don't get paid. School is mandatory. No school no patrol. You don't patrol, you don't get paid. Grades are important, but we will not be basing your patrols on it. If you need help with a class, according to me, you get a tutor. Which leads to, tutoring sessions are mandatory. No tutoring, no patrol. And, if you don't patrol……"

The girls chimed in, "we don't get paid."

"There you go." Xander smiled at the unhappy group.

Buffy chimed in next. "Chores are not mandatory." The girls cheered. "However, if Xander or I have to do something, we are charging the person scheduled to do it for our time, and it is taken directly out of your pay." More grumbling. "But….." she waited. "If you go to school, get good grades, do your tutoring and training, and do all your scheduled patrol hours each week, we will hire someone to come in and clean three days the next week. That means all of you. Laura doesn't have chores, cause she doesn't live here, so we came up with an alternate responsibility for her. She's responsible for keeping the cars clean and tidy. The weeks you get a housekeeper, she gets to take the cars to the car wash. The council is willing to shell out for this, if you are willing to work for it."

The girls mulled it over and agreed to the terms.

Xander took a breath. "Ok, that's settled. The other thing is rules. You know the rules, they're simple and posted in the kitchen. Follow them. Do as we ask and we'll get on great, don't, and you're on your way out. We aren't tyrants, we listen to you and we go easy on you most of the time, but we aren't going to be trampled anymore. Buffy is the one who decides who gets time off, date nights, if you can stay out overnight. Don't come to me about that stuff. I'm your man for money stuff, if you need something fixed, if you need someone bludgeoned. We are both here for anything you need from us otherwise. Buffy would do the bludgeoning, but she gets carried away, so go to her if you need someone killed. I'm good for alibis."

Buffy snickered. "Any questions?"

Nothing.

"Good. Go do whatever. Have fun, schedules start tomorrow."

And that was that.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Music was blaring all through the house. Giggling voices were heard from all directions. The place seemed to be fairly lively and there was a contented air that was hard to miss as Kyle stepped through the front door.

It was weird for him. He had spent so much time with just his friends, in really close quarters, that he was even more nervous about meeting his new roommates and coworkers. Forget the fact that he was stepping into a whole new world, with people who were famous in it. He was really starting to regret agreeing to this. On the job training as a watcher sounded cool to him in the abstract, but living here and interacting with slayers on a daily basis…..

A teenage girl rand across the foyer and past him before she turned, looked at him, and yelled, "Hey guys, he's here!"

Buffy rolled her eyes as she came down the stairs. "Gee, thanks Gwen."

She took the time to look the new guy over. He was tall and athletic, with dark hair and eyes. He seemed nervous, which she understood, but he looked happy to be here. That was good. The last thing they needed was someone who was just there to get paid.

"Hi," she said, "I'm Buffy Summers. I'm one of the watchers who will be training you. I'm Head Slayer of the council, but I function mostly as a watcher these days."

He smiled. "Hi. I'm Kyle Brooks, and I have no idea why I'm here."

"Really?"

"Well, my family got a tip to go and see your sister a couple of months ago, to help Maria with a whole magic thing, and the Council sort of just took us in. I'm not sure they even asked. It was like, 'you have cool powers and are used to living in close quarters with a motley group of teenagers? Follow the watch and count backwards from ten.' And now we're like part of the team."

Buffy laughed as she grabbed a bag off the floor and led Kyle up to his room. "We're very big on recruitment these days. So, what are these 'cool powers' you have? Are you a mage of some sort?"

Kyle was quiet for a moment. He really hated lying about the source of his powers, but 'aliens did it' wasn't really a reasonably smart thing to reveal. "Well, I see auras, sort of. It's like a bio-magnetic field thing. I can't see mystical things, but I can sense physical things. I can see the difference between vampires and humans and demons, and I can tell if there is something majorly wrong with a person. Like if they have a terminal illness. I've only been able to do that for a couple of years, so I'm still learning how to read what certain looks mean. Um….limited telekinesis and I can affect matter. I can change the color of something with my mind, or change the shape of some things. It's really useful when the car breaks down. I'm actually better at that because I used to be a mechanic, and I know what things are supposed to be like and how to fix them. Not the coolest powers and not the most useful in this line of work either."

By now they were in Kyle's room. It was a nice sized room, with its own bathroom and comfortable furniture. It was one of the two rooms designated for the watchers and had been redone when the house was purchased to have thicker walls than the slayer rooms. It was a bit unfair, but the girls didn't mind, since the thicker walls wouldn't do much good for slayer hearing anyway.

"This is your room. We had been letting the girls take turns in here, away from shared bathrooms and roommates, as a reward system, but they have other things for rewards, so it's no big deal. Bathroom is through there, no sharing. Closet is there, there is a trunk on the floor in there that you can put anything you want to keep private in. The girls are good, but they are nosey too. They won't open the trunk though; it's got a slayer repellant charm on it. I'm the only slayer who could possibly open one of those trunks, and I wouldn't. There is a desk in the office for you. Technically it's mine, but I only ever go in there to hide from the kids. Xander will do the whole 'these are your responsibilities' thing with you when he gets back with groceries. I'm pretty sure that's one of the things he's going to pawn off on you."

She grabbed his arm and started leading him through the house, pointing to rooms that they passed. "The aura thing will be useful on patrols actually. – this is the girls' bathroom, stay away for your own sanity – That's not the real reason you're here anyway. Dawn doesn't pick people for powers, she picks them for strength of character. – that's mine and Xander's room, if we're in there don't knock unless it's the end of the world - I hope you can cook. That's been one of the only things we can't get worked out; none of us can cook worth a damn. – library - We'll teach you everything you need to know. Don't worry about looking silly. Most of us learned the hard way ourselves and we're very open to teaching you. – office- Ignore the music if you can. They tend to play whatever matches their collective mood most of the time. You know you're in trouble when they break out the My Chemical Romance. – kitchen, dining room, basement training room through that door- If you have any trouble dealing with the slayers, feel free to come to us and we'll tell you how to deal with them yourself. If you don't, they will have no respect for you at all. – here's the living room- Just relax until Xander gets home and he'll help you with whatever you need. I've got to go check on chores."

And with that she was gone, and Kyle was left sitting on the couch with a stunned look on his face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

"You want to what?"

"I want to have a baby, with you."

Buffy just stared at her lover of the past…. well, she'd loved him in some form or another since she was sixteen. But they had been together for over 4 years now and she was still staring like a moron. Even after all this time, he was still shocking the hell out of her.

"Are you serious?"

"Completely."

"Last year you nearly had a panic attack at the mere THOUGHT of me being pregnant."

She wasn't totally sure how to react to this conversation. They had just been sitting with the whole group, family really, having a relaxing movie night at home. It was a rare thing for everyone to be home at once like that and there not be fighting or sulking or stress. The movie ended and then Xander turned to her, with everyone watching intently, and asked her to have his baby.

"I know that, but I'm ready now. I'm not saying right this second. Look, we decided a while ago that we weren't going to go through the whole getting engaged and marriage thing, but I still wanted a, I don't know, public declaration of some kind. I thought that this was a kind of compromise. Buffy Summers, I'm asking you, in front of our weird little family, to be the mother of my children, or child depending on how that goes."

Buffy paused. "That is the … strangest and sweetest thing I have ever heard."

Xander grinned and pulled her up off the couch, into the middle of the living room. "Weddings scare the snot out of me, and marriage, as an institution, isn't really the permanent thing that it once was. But a child? A child, especially for us, with the way we were raised and the things we missed out on, is a forever thing. Something that we will have connecting us into eternity. I'm not saying we should actively TRY for a baby right away. Maybe let nature take its course for a while. I don't know.

Ever since AJ was born I've had this itch in the back of my mind. I want to rock our baby to sleep at night. I want to change diapers and sooth nightmares and get embarrassed by temper tantrums in the grocery store. Most importantly, I want to do all of that with you, and only you. What do you say?"

Buffy didn't answer him for a long while. She had kind of, stupidly now that she thought about it, figured that when they nixed marriage the kids got nixed right along with it. She had put it aside and tried not to think about it too much. Even when she was insanely jealous of her little sister and her children.

Of course there had always been the possibility of an accident, but actively pursuing it had been remote to her. Now though………

"Hell yeah!" Buffy exclaimed with a laugh right before she reached up and kissed Xander so hard that he ended up on the floor with a lap full of slayer. Kyle and the girls cheered for just a minute before they all decided to exit the room. Apparently Buffy wasn't going to wait another minute to get her forever.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

* * *

Kyle was the only one home to hear it.

He was standing in the kitchen, about to take a swig out of a carton of orange juice, when he heard a high pitched squeal down the hall. His instinctual reaction was to stuff the still open carton back in the fridge and try not to look guilty. It took him about ten seconds to realize that the squeal was not in outrage, and he wasn't actually busted for the fourth time that week.

The squeal had come from the office that he shared with Buffy and Xander, though Xander was the only one to actually use it most of the time. That made him curious since Xander was supposedly the only one in there, and the idea of Xander Harris making that noise just didn't fit with the image that Kyle had of the man.

As Kyle entered the office he saw Xander hunched over his desk with his cell phone in his hands. He was giggling quietly to himself and smiling like a loon.

"What's up boss man?" Kyle asked, startling the one eyed watcher.

"Oh!" Xander jumped slightly and then smiled his big goofy grin. "Hey. Have you ever seen something that made you scream and go all hyperactive girly?"

Kyle laughed. "No, but guessing by the noise you just have. What is it?"

"It's a sonogram picture. Buffy took a picture of the monitor on her cell and sent it to me. She went with Vi and the others to the base for their appointments and Carolyn offered to do one for her, since she was there. She called and I told her to go ahead, but she felt bad for seeing without me, so she snapped a pic. She wanted me to see what she saw. It's the coolest thing I've ever seen."

Kyle smiled at his friend. Ever since the big alien thing had ended Xander and Buffy had been walking on air. They were so excited about having a baby; you wouldn't know that it had only pretty recently even crossed their minds that it was even a possibility. It was a great thing to watch. The only other pregnancies he had ever been around had been Tess' super creepy and pretty unwelcome one, and Liz's accidental and badly timed one. Neither of those had been truly celebrated. It had been all tension, even if the children were loved.

Buffy and Xander, however, couldn't be happier. They glowed with it. Even the slayers of the house were giddy. Even when the bedrooms had all been rearranged and remodeled to fit a nursery next to their room. Nobody was really enjoying the house being under part time construction, but they ignored it and focused on the idea of having a baby in the house.

It felt like no time had passed at all for any of them, except for Buffy's expanding waist line.

"That's cool." He finally answered.

"Yeah, but I'm going with her next time. She said that she's going to get Carolyn to add her to the list of appointments. It's easier for everyone, and she wants to have the same doctor as Vi, since they are the first slayers to have monitored pregnancies."

"I guess that makes sense." Kyle said. He still had a hard time accepting how buddy buddy the council had gotten with the SGC. It just felt….wrong to trust the military like that.

"I'm really worried about something though."

"What's that" Kyle said as he relaxed into one of the comfy chairs.

"Names. Do you know how much crap Buffy has gotten over the years for her name? But she likes it. And then she was all snippy about Aron's name. Complete 180. What if she wants to name the kid something like Kip? Or she goes all super traditional and wants Emmett or Tobias or something like that? Buffy is a very stubborn woman, but she's kinda fickle too. I gotta know which direction I should steer her away from. It's a delicate thing. If I think she's going one way and nudge the other, but I'm wrong, I'm encouraging her."

Kyle was bewildered by this logic. "Why don't you just ask her what she's thinking and go from there? I can't see why you're so – "

"Insane?"

"Yeah."

"Good point. I think I'm creating things to worry about. When things are too easy, bad things happen. I just want to get the bad over with, and I'm picking stupid things."

"Well….what if it's a girl?"

Xander groaned as the possibilities of raising a little girl, and a teenaged girl, scrolled through his head. "Thanks man."

Kyle chuckled as he left the room. "No problem boss."


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** Here is my sappy ass ending. Written after a night of no sleep. Written because the song cam on my stereo and I had this sudden need to do it.

**Chapter 14**

* * *

Buffy woke slowly and turned her head to look at the clock. It was 6:11am. She took a moment to figure out why that was important. Right, baby. Anna usually woke up around 6 to be fed. She laid there for another minute and listened. No baby crying, just Xander's stereo playing in the office directly beneath her.

Xander had developed a bad habit of passing out in the office at least twice a week since Anna had been born 4 months earlier. He put off so much work during the day, spending time as a family, that it all backed up on him. She thought that she had finally put a stop to it, but apparently not.

She sighed as she padded down the stairs in her bare feet, wearing an old tank top and a pair of boxers. Move Xander first, make bottle, feed baby, go back to sleep. Good plan.

As she opened the office door she saw that Xander was in fact not asleep. He was standing in the middle of the office, swaying to the music with Anna sleeping peacefully on his shoulder. Buffy smiled softly. As he swayed he sang the song, their song, softly to the tiny girl.

* * *

_Oh, this is the start of something good  
Don't you agree?_

* * *

It was a song that they played during that very first week in Rome.

* * *

_I haven't felt like this in so many moons  
You know what I mean?_

* * *

They had picked the CD at random. It was an old one that Dawn had given to Andrew when she moved out, then he gave it to Buffy later.

* * *

_And we can build through this destruction  
As we are standing on our feet_

* * *

She and Xander had somehow identified with the song, so she kept the CD with her, even in Africa.

* * *

_So since you want to be with me  
You'll have to follow through  
With every word you say _

* * *

He swayed in a smooth practiced rhythm. His singing voice wasn't the best, but he knew every word.

* * *

_And I, all I really want is you  
For you to stick around  
I'll see you everyday _

* * *

He had his eye closed, so he didn't notice Buffy approaching until she moved the hand that was rubbing Anna's back and placed herself under his arm.

* * *

_But you have to follow through  
You have to follow through_

* * *

She took up the slow rubbing on the baby's back as he pulled her closer.

* * *

_These reeling emotions they just keep me alive  
They keep me in tune  
Oh, look what I'm holding here in my fire  
This is for you_

* * *

Now instead of swaying in place they began a slow simple dance.

* * *

_Am I too obvious to preach it  
You're so hypnotic on my heart  
So since you want to be with me  
You'll have to follow through  
With every word you say_

* * *

Instead of saying anything, Buffy just hugged Xander tight and hummed along.

* * *

_And I, all I really want is you  
For you to stick around  
I'll see you everyday  
But you have to follow through  
You have to follow through  
The words you say to me are unlike anything  
That's ever been said  
And what you do to me is unlike anything That's ever been_

* * *

After a moment Xander shifted his hold on her and moved her into a spin.

* * *

_Am I too obvious to preach it  
You're so hypnotic on my heart  
So since you want to be with me  
You'll have to follow through  
With every word you say  
And I, all I really want is you  
For you to stick around  
I'll see you everyday_

* * *

Now Xander was looking at her. God, she loved that look in his eye. That look that said, 'This is everything. This is my whole world, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.'.

* * *

_So since you want to be with me  
You'll have to follow through  
With every word you say  
And I, all I really want is you  
For you to stick around  
I'll see you everyday  
But you have to follow through  
You have to follow through  
You're gonna have to follow through_

* * *

Now they were both singing and dancing together. Way better than Sweet's crappy music. As the song drew to a close they kissed softly and stood in each others' arms. They were oblivious to the outside world as they shared that quiet moment. These were the moments that got them through everything. The times that reminded them what they fought for, what they had sacrificed so much for. Even when they fought each other and themselves. This was what it was all for. This is what made it worth it.

* * *

_Oh, this is the start of something good  
Don't you agree?_

**The End**


End file.
